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Union Calendar No. 363 . 


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61 st Congress, ) HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES. ( Report 
3d Session. ) ( No. 2013. 


PURCHASE OF OLDROYD COLLECTION OF LINCOLN 

RELICS. ,, 



January 28, 1911.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
the Union and ordered to be printed. 

Mr. Bartholdt, from the Committee on Public Buildings and 
Grounds, submitted the following 

REPORT. 

[To accompany H. R. 28985.] 

The Committee on Public Buildings and Grounds, to whom was 
referred the bill (H. R. 28985) for the purchase of the Oldroyd collec¬ 
tion of Lincoln relics, and for other purposes, after a careful considera¬ 
tion of the merits of said bill, made the following report: 

By the terms of the bill it is sought to purchase the celebrated 
Oldroyd collection of Lincoln relics; to acquire, by purchase, condem¬ 
nation, or otherwise, the premises situated in the city of Washington, 
D. C., known as Nos. 514 and 518 Tenth street, NW. 

In 1897 Mr. Sayers introduced a bill providing for the purchase of 
the house No. 516 in said street, in which Lincoln died, appropriating 
$30,000 for said purpose. This became a law, and the relics, now 
owned by Capt. Osborn H. Oldroyd, which had previously been in 
that building, are now on exhibition there, and are constantly men¬ 
aced with destruction by fire. It is proposed to remove the adjoin¬ 
ing houses mentioned; erect a suitable two-story building on the 
rear of the three lots and to make the whole as near fireproof as 
possible. In the general scheme is embraced the purpose to beau¬ 
tify and park the grounds on either side of the building now owned 
by the Government, where the President passed away, giving added 
security against fire. The plan, which has the approval of the War 
Department and the former Superintendent of Public Buildings and 
Grounds, is herewith shown: 

This wonderful aggregation of almost priceless souvenirs and 
reminders of Abraham Lincoln is said to be the greatest and most 
complete of its kind in existence. It was brought here from Spring- 
field, Ill., where it was located in the Lincoln homestead for years. 
The collection has attained more than 3,000 pieces, the result of nearly 
a half century of studiously unremitting work by Capt. Oldroyd, who 


H-'bS'l ^3 








2 PURCHASE OF OLDROYD COLLECTION OF LINCOLN RELICS? 

is regarded as the best-equipped Lincoln student now living, so that in 
the assembling of .the relics he could not be imposed upon, his discrim¬ 
inating knowledge barring even an attempt at deception or fraud. 
This makes the collection bear the seal of authenticity. Each piece 
forms a unit leading up to the completed story that clusters closely 
around the matchless figure in human history. The collection also 
contains a comprehensive library of nearly 1,200 volumes relating to 
the great martyr and the war, with thousands of almost invaluable 
clippings, newspaper and magazine files, hundreds of sermons deliv¬ 
ered in various parts of the land on the assassination, besides other 
manuscripts, original letters, and papers. 

Several very flattering offers have been made by individuals repre¬ 
senting different cities to purchase the Oldroyd collection, but the 
owner has declined to consider them, as he feels that the United States 
should acquire it in order to insure its preservation in this historic 
building at the Capital of the Nation, where it properly belongs. 

Many valued souvenirs of the great President are scattered over the 
country that would find a place in the proposed museum after assur¬ 
ance that a proper fireproof structure has been erected. Owners and 
custodians of such relics have so indicated. The National Museum 
has many salient reminders of Lincoln that should and would be added 
to the main collection. 

There is no adequate monument to Lincoln at the National Capital. 
This would be one full of sentiment of the homely kind. In passing a 
strong resolution at the National Encampment of the Grand Army of the 
Republic, which met at Saratoga, favoring the acquirement of the 
Oldroyd collection by the Government, it was set forth among other 
things that no monument could be erected that would appeal to the 
whole people with as much sentimental force as this proposed 
memorial. 

The committee unanimously indorse that conclusion and recom¬ 
mend that the bill do pass. 


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